Introductory Notes

Section L

Page 57 of 468

¹³⁴⁶¹ And Pilate said unto the chief priests and the multitude, I have not found² against this man anything.³⁴⁶² But they cried out and said, He hath disquieted³⁴⁶³ our people with his teaching in all Judæa, and he began³⁴⁶⁴ from Galilee and unto this³ place.³⁴⁶⁵ And Pilate, when he heard the name of Galilee, asked, Is this man a Galilæan?⁴³⁴⁶⁶ And when he learned that he was under the jurisdiction of Herod, he sent him to Herod: for he was in Jerusalem in those days.

⁵³⁴⁶⁷ And Herod, when he saw Jesus, rejoiced exceedingly: for he had desired to see him for a long time, because he had heard regarding him many things; and he counted on³⁴⁶⁸⁶ [Arabic, p. 189] seeing some sign from him.³⁴⁶⁹ And he questioned him with many words; but⁷ Jesus answered him not a word.³⁴⁷⁰ And the scribes and chief priests were⁸ standing by, and they accused him vehemently.³⁴⁷¹ And Herod scoffed at him, he and his servants; and when he had scoffed at him, he clothed him in robes of scarlet,⁹ and sent him to Pilate.³⁴⁷² And on that day Pilate and Herod became friends, there having been³⁴⁷³ enmity between them before that.

[10, 11]³⁴⁷⁴ And Pilate called the chief priests and the rulers of the people,³⁴⁷⁵ and said unto them, Ye brought unto me this man, as the perverter of your people: and I have tried him before you, and have not found in this man any cause³⁴⁷⁶ of all that ye¹² seek³⁴⁷⁷ against him:³⁴⁷⁸ nor yet Herod: for I sent him unto him; and he hath done¹³ nothing for which he should deserve death.³⁴⁷⁹ So now I will chastise him, and let [14, 15] him go.³⁴⁸⁰ The multitude all cried out and said, Take him from us, take him.³⁴⁸¹ And¹⁶ the chief priests and the elders accused him of many things.³⁴⁸² And during their¹⁷ accusation he answered not a word.³⁴⁸³ Then Pilate said unto him, Hearest thou not¹⁸ how many things they witness against thee?³⁴⁸⁴ And he answered him not, not even one word: and Pilate marvelled at that.

¹⁹³⁴⁸⁵ And when the judge sat on his tribune, his wife sent unto him, and said unto him, See that thou have nothing to do with that righteous man: for I have suffered much in my dream³⁴⁸⁶ to-day because of him.

²⁰³⁴⁸⁷ And at every feast the custom of the judge was to release to the people one²¹ prisoner, him whom they would.³⁴⁸⁸ And there was in their prison a well-known prisoner, [22, 23] called Barabbas.³⁴⁸⁹ And when they assembled, Pilate said unto them,³⁴⁹⁰ Ye have a custom, that I should release unto you a prisoner at the passover: will ye that I²⁴ release unto you the King of the Jews?³⁴⁹¹ And they all cried out and said, Release not [Arabic, p. 190] unto us this man, but release unto us Barabbas. And this Barabbas was a²⁵ robber,³⁴⁹² who for sedition³⁴⁹³ and murder, which was in the city, was cast into the²⁶ prison.³⁴⁹⁴ And all the people cried out and began to ask him to do as the custom was²⁷ that he should do with them.³⁴⁹⁵ And Pilate answered and said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called the Messiah, the²⁸ King of the Jews?³⁴⁹⁶ For Pilate knew that envy had moved them to deliver him up.²⁹³⁴⁹⁷ And the chief priests and the elders asked the multitudes to deliver Barabbas, and³⁰ to destroy Jesus.³⁴⁹⁸ The judge answered and said unto them, Whom of the two will³¹ ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.³⁴⁹⁹ Pilate said unto them, And³² Jesus which is called the Messiah, what shall I do with him?³⁵⁰⁰ They all cried out³³ and said, Crucify him.³⁵⁰¹ And Pilate spake to them again, for he desired to release³⁴ Jesus;³⁵⁰² but they cried out and said, Crucify him, crucify him, and release unto us³⁵ Barabbas.³⁵⁰³ And Pilate said unto them a third time, What evil hath this man done? I have not found in him any cause³⁵⁰⁴ to necessitate death: I will chastise him and³⁶ let him go.³⁵⁰⁵ But they increased in importunity³⁵⁰⁶ with a loud voice, and asked him to crucify him. And their voice, and the voice of the chief priests, prevailed.³⁷³⁵⁰⁷ Then Pilate released unto them that one who was cast into prison for sedition and murder, Barabbas, whom they asked for:³⁵⁰⁸ and he scourged Jesus with whips.³⁵⁰⁹

³⁸³⁵¹⁰ Then the footsoldiers of the judge took Jesus, and went into the prætorium, and³⁹ [Arabic, p. 191] gathered unto him all of the footsoldiers.³⁵¹¹ And they stripped him, and put on⁴⁰ him a scarlet cloak.³⁵¹² And they clothed him in garments of purple, and plaited⁴¹ a crown of thorns, and placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand;³⁵¹³ and while they mocked at him and laughed, they fell down on their knees before him, and bowed⁴² down to³⁵¹⁴ him, and said, Hail,³⁵¹⁵ King of the Jews!³⁵¹⁶ And they spat in his face, and took the reed from his hand, and struck him on his head,³⁵¹⁷ and smote his cheeks.⁴³³⁵¹⁸ And Pilate went forth without again, and said unto the Jews, I bring him forth to⁴⁴ you, that ye may know that I do not find, in examining³⁵¹⁹ him, even one crime.³⁵²⁰³⁵²¹ And Jesus went forth without, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garments.⁴⁵³⁵²² Pilate said unto them, Behold, the man! And when the chief priests and the soldiers³⁵²³ saw him, they cried out and said, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate said unto them, Take him yourselves, and crucify him: for I find not a cause³⁵²⁴ against⁴⁶ him.³⁵²⁵ The Jews said unto him, We have a law, and according to our law he deserves⁴⁷ death, because he made himself the Son of God.³⁵²⁶ And when Pilate heard this word,⁴⁸ his fear increased;³⁵²⁷ and he entered again into the porch, and said to Jesus, Whence⁴⁹ art thou?³⁵²⁸ But Jesus answered him not a word. Pilate said unto him, Speakest³⁵²⁹ thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have authority to release thee, and have⁵⁰ authority to crucify thee?³⁵³⁰ Jesus said unto him, Thou hast not any³⁵³¹ authority over me, if thou wert not given it from above: therefore the sin of him that delivered⁵¹ me up unto thee is greater than thy sin.³⁵³² And for this word Pilate wished to release him: but the Jews cried out, If thou let him go, thou art not a friend of Cæsar: for every one that maketh himself a king is against Cæsar.

Notes

1
Parechein mikropsuchian, perhaps "causes you ill-feeling." The translation of Serapion's letter with this note is taken from Mr. Armitage Robinson's edition of the gospel.
3461
.
2
This translation is based on that which I published in The Gospel and Apocalypse of Peter: Two Lectures, etc. (Camb., 1892). It is now carefully revised in accordance with the photographic facsimile. A corrected Greek text will be found in Dr. Swete's edition (1893).
3462
.
3463
Or, led astray (cf. § 25, 17, note).
3464
cf. Syriac versions.
3
Par[alem]phthenai is perhaps supported by paralabontes, .
3465
.
4
I know no other instance of stauriskein.
3466
.
5
cf. , where Syr. Pesch. reads: "They say, These bodies shall not remain on the cross, because the sabbath dawneth."
3467
.
3468
Same word as in § 10, 16 (see note there).
6
The text here is corrupt: for epesanto I have provisionally read epesan te.
3469
.
7
For autos horas we must read autes horas (cf. Clem., Hom., xx., 16); aute is the equivalent in later Greek literature of ekeine, as in the modern tongue (cf. Lc. x. 7, 21, and xii. 12; || ekeine, Mt., Mc.)
3470
.
8
I have ventured to substitute meta, "together with" (cf. ), for kata, "down upon." Dr. Swete, however, keeps kata, and interprets it as "against," i.e., to guard the sepulchre against.
3471
.
9
The form of the question in the Greek suggests a negative answer.
3472
.
3473
Lit. and there was.
3474
.
3475
.
3476
The Arabic word may also, like the Syriac, mean thing, but hardly, as that does here, fault or crime. The Vat. ms., pointing differently, reads thing. The same confusion occurs at § 40, 35 (cf. a converse case in § 25, 40).
12
[cf. ; .]
3477
So Ciasca's text, following the Borg. ms. The Vat. ms. has plotted, which is nearer the Syriac accuse.
3478
.
13
[cf. .]
3479
.
3480
a.
3481
a.
16
[cf. .]
3482
.
17
For further explanation of the method followed see 20.
3483
.
18
See notes to § 7, 47, and § 52, 36, of the present translation.
3484
.
19
See below, 12, (2).
3485
.
3486
See § 3, 12, note.
20
See also below, 6, and 20.
3487
.
21
Bibl. Or., i., 619.
3488
.
3489
a.
3490
.
24
See below, § 7, 47, note, and § 52, 36, note.
3491
.
25
See below, § 28, 43, note.
3492
.
3493
Ciasca's text, following the Vat. ms., has disorder. Borg. ms. has division (cf. heresies, Curetonian of § 50, 37), which by addition of a diacritical point gives sedition; cf. § 50, 37 (Ciasca, following Vat. ms.), and Peshitta (both places).
26
See below, foot-notes, passim.
3494
.
27
The first leaf bears a more pretentious Latin inscription, quoted by Ciasca, p. vi.
3495
a; b.
28
Can this be a misprint for 95?
3496
.
29
See below, 13.
3497
.
30
He does not state, in so many words, that the list is absolutely exhaustive.
3498
.
31
See, e.g., below, § 13, 42, note, and § 14, 43, note.
3499
a.
32
See the valuable article of Guidi, "Le traduzioni degli Evangelii in arabo e in etiopico" (Atti della R. Accademia dei Lincei; Classe di Scienze Morali, Storiche e filologiche. Serie Quarta, 1888, Parte Prima—Memorie, pp. 5-38). Some of his results are briefly stated in Scrivener, A Plain Introd. to the Crit. of the N.T., 4th ed., ii., 162.
3500
.
33
cf.the foot-notes passim, e.g., § 13, 14, § 14, 24.
3501
.
34
See below, note to Subscription.
3502
.
35
See a glaring case in § 52, 11.
3503
.
3504
Our translator has retained the Syriac word, which in this context means fault (see § 50, 11, note).
36
The references to the readings of the Diatessaron in Ibn-at-Tayyib's own commentary on the gospels (see next note) are remarkably impersonal for one who had made or was to make a translation of it.
3505
.
3506
The word used in Vat ms. means a repeated charge or attack. That in Borg. ms. is probably used in the post-classical sense of importuning him. Either word might be written by a copyist for the other. The same double reading probably occurs again at § 53, 55.
37
A specially important part of the general question is this, What are the mutual relations of the following: (1) a supposed version of at least Matthew and John made from the Syriac by Ibn-at-Tayyib, mentioned by Ibn-al-Assal in the Preface to his scholarly recension of the gospels (ms. numbered Or. 3382 in Brit. Mus., folio 384b) and used by him in determining his text; (2) the gospel text interwoven with the commentary of Ibn-at-Tayyib on the gospels, a commentary which De Slane says the author wrote in Syriac and then translated into Arabic; (3) our present work. Of mss. testifying to No. 1 we have some dating from the time of Ibn-al-Assal himself; of No. 2 we have, in addition to others, an eleventh-century ms. in Paris, described by De Slane (catalogue No. 85) as being "un volume dépareillé du ms. original de l'ouvrage"; of No. 3 we have of course the Vatican and Borgian mss. What is the mutual relation of these texts; were any two of them identical? The Brit. Mus. ms. of the second has many points of contact with the third, but is dated 1805 a.d. Does the older Paris ms. stand more or less closely related? Did Ibn-at-Tayyib himself really translate any or all of these texts, or did he simply select or edit them? Space does not permit us to point out, far less to discuss, the various possibilities.
3507
a; a.
3508
b.
3509
cf. Syriac versions.
38
The text is given below in full at its proper place.
3510
.
39
Prof. Gottheil, indeed, announced in 1892 in the Journal of Biblical Literature (vol. xi., pt. i., p. 71) that he had been privately informed of the existence of a complete copy of the Syriac Diatessaron. Unfortunately, however, as he has kindly informed me, he has reluctantly come to the conclusion that the ms. in question, which is not yet accessible, is "nothing more than the commentary of Ishodad" mentioned in the text. A similar rumor lately circulated probably originated simply in the pamphlet of Goussen mentioned in the next note. S. Bäumer, on the other hand, in his article, "Tatians Diatessaron, seine bisher. Lit. u. die Reconstruction des Textes nach einer neuentdeckten Handschrift" (Literarischer Handweiser, 1890, 153-169) which the present writer has not been able to see, perhaps refers simply to the Borgian ms.
3511
.
40
Attention was called to these by Profs. Isaac H. Hall and R. J. H. Gottheil (Journ. of Bibl. Lit., x., 153 ff.; xi., 68 ff.); then by Prof. J. R. Harris (Contemp. Rev., Aug., 1895, p. 271 ff., and, more fully, Fragments of the Com. of Ephr. Syr. on the Diatess., London, 1895) and by Goussen (Studia Theologica, fasc. i., Lips., 1895).
3512
.
41
Prof. Harris promises an edition of this commentary.
3513
b.
42
Harris, Fragments, p. 14, where the Syriac text is quoted.
3514
This may be a mere clerical error (very natural in Arabic) for scoffed at, the reading of the Syriac versions. This being so, it is worthy of remark that the reading is apparently common to the two mss. The Syriac words are, however, also somewhat similar. The Jerusalem Lectionary has a word agreeing with the text above.
3515
Lit. Peace.
3516
.
3517
b.
43
Bib. Or., ii., 159 f. Most of them are repeated again by Bar Hebræus (d. 1286), although some confusion is produced by his interweaving some phrases from Eusebius of Cæsarea. (Bib. Or., i., 57 f., and a longer quotation in English in Contemp. Rev., Aug., 1895, p. 274 f.)
3518
.
44
Lagarde's statement (Nachrichten von der Königl. Gesellsch. der Wiss., etc., zu Göttingen, 1891, No. 4, p. 153) that a ms. had been discovered, appears to have been unfounded. Prof. Rahlfs of Göttingen kindly tells me that he believes this is so.
3519
This reading may be a corruption of a very literal rendering of the Peshitta.
3520
cf. § 50, 11.
3521
.
45
Migne, Patrol. græc., tom. lxxxiii., col. 369, 372.
3522
.
3523
cf. § 11, 11, note.
3524
See § 50, 35, note.
46
Published at Venice in 1836.
3525
.
47
The two Armenian mss. are dated a.d. 1195.
3526
.
48
Evangelii Concordantis Expositio, facta a S. Ephraemo (Ven., 1876).
3527
.
49
Forschungen zur Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons, I. Theil.
3528
.
3529
Borg. ms., Why speakest; a reading that might be a corruption of the Peshitta.
50
Edited by Ernestus Ranke, Marb. and Lips., 1868.
3530
.
3531
Lit. even one (Pesh.).
51
For other forms of the Diatessaron, of no critical importance, see S. Hemphill, The Diatessaron of Tatian (London, 1888), Appendix D and the refs. there.
3532
.

Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 9, ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson and A. Cleveland Coxe (1885–96). Public domain. Text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.